Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-10-29
SIDEWALK CROWDS.
How They Collect and Obstruct Pe,cs-
trians.
MARY JANE.

trians.
Special Corresponaencel :.
NEW York. Oct. 4-In places remote
from the metropolis a theory obtains to the
effect that in New York crowds never collec:
on the sidewalk and remain standing, THAI
they move on and dare not stop. 1t is a mis-
take. This IS tho placa wher>s crowds colhs I
i'll the shortest and stand the longest tine.
The sight OF an ambulance backed up in
front OF door gathers crowd ut once.
Everybody who comes along not actually
under contract to be ut a certain place Mt a
certain hour stops. Many do not hesitate to
snap their engagements short of on such oc-
casions. TIE entire thron: stand hour after
hour waiting to see the sick or mangled per-
son brought out and put into the amb,i-
lance. They don't know his name or
what has happened to him, and they
are not likely to know; but they
wait to see him all tho same This is not
sympathy. 1t is curiosity Of the idlest and
mos; profi;lcss kind. Well dressed end i'll
dressed women arc in the throng. So are
men with high silk hats and men with scarcely
hat TO their names BOYS, servant maids,
little children and very old folk are also
there Rain or storm has no effect on them
neither the fiery beams Of the sun nor the
piercing tooth Of the wind They are there
to see that man or that woman brought out
and put in that wagon: and the5 refuse to be
thwarted OF their intent.
And again, observe window where three
or four paste5oard animals are formed into
an orchestra and kept in motion by elec-
tricity. Behold the crowd Its interest never
wanes. Some faces, and they are not juve-
nile ones, either. arc glued to the glass of the
window for hours. Anything in the nature
OF perpetual motion is astonishinsly fascina-
ting 70 the multitude
And as the holidays approach and auto
matte attractions are placed in show win
dows, tho sidewalks about thess places b.
come impassahle. Never for . moment does
the crowd thin out Others Immediately
take the places of all who leave.
In window on popular street arc two
women with very long hair For months
they have stood there brushing their tressss,
and for the same length Of time tho sidewalk
has been well nigh blockaded.
II q horse drops dead in the street the peo-
pie halt. and not until tho poor animals
CORPSE becomes offensive will they consent to
N we on Tn. streets OF New York ALWAYS
,ntain large proportion Of people who
lever bother themselves about time. They
halt whenever anything interests them and
stay till they have appeased their curiosity.
A stage struck daughter trying to escape
from home with her trunk held an audience
from O'Clock until one day lately The
''old man" in the case, otherwise the parent
of the young lady, was peculiarly obstinate,
and the fair Juliet herself was as persistent
% she was beautiful. The miscellaneous
ti,rong took sides as the matter progressed
and grew in interest. Some even went Up to
demonstrate with the old mnn Some went
awny and returned with several friends. Al
together IL was scene we'll calculated to dis
sipate the idea lurking in the rural mind that
crowds are not permitted to stand on New
York sidewalks GERIRcDR GARRISON.